


Sunset Way

by Crowwy



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, but really it's mostly diabetes, i hope you enjoy them., oc/oc!, there's some horny in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29337372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowwy/pseuds/Crowwy
Summary: A Valentione's drabble, which I would like to say was done on popular demand from the RP server I'm in but really I'm just being heavily self-indulgent here. Please enjoy.
Relationships: Miqo'te Characters (Final Fantasy XIV)/Original Character(s)





	Sunset Way

**Author's Note:**

> A bunch of little vignettes from a certain couple's day out in Ul’dah, on the day of St. Valentione. If you find yourself thinking “die, normies”, I have succeeded.
> 
> Ayer and Tarkhan belong to their respective players, myself and Tarkhan Kha on Tonberry!

"You know," Ayer begins, one foot up on her bedframe as she puts on her greaves. He tilts his head and makes a "hmm?" of curiosity behind her, tearing his eyes away from the flex of her back when she tugs a strap into place. "It strikes me that we haven't really gone on a date before." 

He blinks. A date? Like, going out for fun? The cogs click in his head and he thinks back to the Steppe romance novels he had read - stargazing would be nice, he thought. "No, I suppose not - though I have fun on gathering and hunting excursions with you, if that counts." Tarkhan smiles, and then raises an eyebrow when Ayer looks over her shoulder at him with a smirk. 

"Oh, I'm sure you do. Remember that time with the mushrooms?" Tarkhan’s ash-colored cheeks flush and he looks away sheepishly as he clears his throat, eliciting a decidedly unsympathetic chuckle from Ayer. "Heh. Well, how about we take a little jaunt about Ul'dah next week? It's a good time for it, anyway."

It was true that Ul'dah had no shortage of stores and the like to peruse, and Tarkhan was quite aware that Ayer probably intended on buying… something or the other. Why would next week in particular be a good time, though? Regardless - "Sure, I'm looking forward to it. Shall I pick you up here like a proper gentleman, then?" Ayer rolls her eyes at this and he takes it as a yes, mimicking her smirk from earlier. 

The pugilist hops up to her feet after this, and taps the balls of her feet on the floor before twirling around and bending over, offering Tarkhan a final peck on the lips. "I'll see you on the 15th, then! Or earlier, but those won't be dates." She grins and makes her way out of the apartment shortly after saying her piece, and as he listens to her footsteps going down the stairs outside he thinks back to the date she proposed.

The 15th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon…? 

-

Tarkhan had decided rather long ago that he wasn't terribly fond of Ishgard's biting cold, and he wondered why Ayer had decided to purchase an apartment all the way out here. Unfortunately, he was much too big to borrow Ayer’s coat, so it was a small blessing that he had thought to bring his Kha tribal robes from the Steppe. After she was done with whatever preparations she had to do inside they would probably travel to Ul’dah by Aetheryte… and he’d have to take it off. How troublesome. “Ayer, are you ready?” He calls from outside the door, rapping on it with the back of his knuckles.

“Just about!” Sure enough, there’s the sound of Ayer’s boots tapping on the floor before she opens the door, grinning up at Tarkhan. He reminds himself to breathe as his gaze angles itself downwards. The sleeveless top she’s donning is similar to the off-white one she often wore, but made of a finer material, smoother, a cleaner white that highlights her pale skin - a peek of one of her tattoos creeping up her neck. The necklace around her slender neck is the one he had a match to, an iridescent pale blue gem sitting against her collarbone. And instead of her usual shorts or trousers, a dark blue pleated skirt waves at her thighs, leaving the rest of her toned legs bare down to her usual laced black boots. She has her red coat on right now, but then by the time they reached Ul’dah she would have it stowed away so he’d be able to- “Tark, eyes up here. I know you like the skirt, but we should get a move on, my legs are freezing, here.”

“I could help you warm them up.” Tarkhan immediately responds without missing a beat, and she rolls her eyes, kicking him lightly in the shins as she walks by. He smiles and easily catches up to her, their hands automatically linking together, fingers intertwining as they take the stairs together. It’s a natural motion by now - either their tails or fingers finding each other the moment they were side by side. Ayer never seemed to show much of a reaction to it on her face, but Tarkhan had been giddy with pure joy and affection when they held hands in public for the first time, and he swore he could see a soft smile play on her lips too whenever they did. For someone so expressive and fiery most of the time, she was quite cool with that particular side of her. They chat about inconsequential things and their next assignment together as they walk, and in what feels like no time at all there’s the familiar rush of teleportation magicks whisking them away into the steamy desert biome of Thanalan and the buzz of activity in the air, different languages shouting to be heard over each other in a way that had come to be nostalgic for Ayer.

It feels like they’re defrosting. Somewhat unpleasantly.

Ayer laughs as their tails and ears droop almost in-sync. “You think maybe we should have made a pitstop in Dravania first?” She shrugs off her coat as she says this, stowing it away as Tarkhan somewhat hurriedly does the same for himself, groaning under his breath at the uncomfortable sensation of dropping straight into the blazing sun from the freezing snow. Without asking, she takes hold of his hand again even though they feel clammy like water is trying to condense but is stuck halfway there, and without thinking, he squeezes her smaller hand back, lacing their fingers back together. “Come on, let’s go.” This time, Tarkhan can definitely see the smile spreading across her face as she closes her other hand around his and pulls him along, and he smiles back. For now, with her skirt floating gently around her legs when she spins on her heel to walk out of the Aetheryte plaza and his thin white button-up offering some respite from the heat he wouldn’t normally find wearing his thick furs or armor, they’re a normal couple here to enjoy the day.

-

And what a day it seems to be - Tarkhan’s ears flicker and he looks about bewildered. The various heart-shaped red, pink and brown decorations strewn about everywhere are definitely flashy - garishly so - and he can hear street hawkers touting their wares, much of them sweet treats using chocolate which had recently caught on after more of it started being exported from Ishgard, Eorzea’s capital for hot chocolate. “Right - it’s St. Valentione’s Day, isn’t it? We don’t really celebrate it in the Steppe, I had almost forgotten…” Ayer herself seems more interested in said chocolatey treats, and he catches a tantalizing glimpse of her licking her lips when a particular stall selling some unique kebabs dipped in spiced chocolate catches her eye. “Do you want some?” He murmurs into her ear half to make himself heard above the din and half to tease her. She doesn’t seem to react to the heavy suggestion at all though, simply turning back to face him with a cheery grin on her face like a youngling in a candy store. His smile widens anyway, seeing her so happy.

“Do I! Let’s take a look, maybe they have dzo meat.” Tarkhan can but chuckle as she turns around again and drags him along to the stall, her eyes sparkling at the variety of meats on sale, a number of them dripping with warm melted chocolate. “Mm… Oh! They do have dzo meat! One dzo kebab and one boar kebab, thank you! Yes, chocolate on both.” Ayer reaches for her gil pouch, until the other Keeper steps in front of her and shakes his head, handing the amused stall owner his gil with a shake of his head. “Hmm? Oh, you. You know I earn maybe five times more than you do.” Ayer sticks her tongue out playfully at Tarkhan as he smirks back at her, squeezing her bicep gently.

“Yes, yes, let me have my moment, alright?” Tarkhan rolls his eyes in a motion mimicking hers from earlier, taking the still-steaming skewers of fragrant meat from the hawker and handing the boarmeat one to her. She laughs lightly in response, taking the skewer from him and blowing on it. The molten chocolate barely even ripples as she does, a testament to how thick it was. In the next second, she’s making pained but joyful squeaking sounds as she chews, clearly having bitten into it too soon. “I keep telling you to blow a little longer, and do you listen?” He gently chides her, gingerly taking a bite from his own kebab and promptly hissing in pain as he burns himself anyway. She laughs harder as they walk away to peruse more of the stalls, and he can’t help but to laugh with her, the addictive tastes of bittersweet chocolate and dzo meat intermingling in his mouth atop his scalded tongue and his heart swelling like the shiny balloons floating in the air around them.

-

“Look, look, they’re selling seasonal outfits, too. That vest looks so suave.” Ayer remarks, pointing at the festival runners’ stall which had a few models standing about. She takes out her now-bare skewer from her mouth for a moment to tap it against her lip thoughtfully, imagining Tarkhan in the outfit, looking between the male models and him while he does the same, except between the girls in the flouncy little dresses and her. “...Before you say anything, this skirt is fine, but poofy numbers like that…” She hums somewhat disapprovingly at the mental image of herself in such a getup, starting to twirl the metal skewer between her fingers.

Tarkhan almost looks disappointed. “What? But it’d be cute.” He sighs, biting his own skewer between his fangs for a second before smoothly tossing it into a rubbish bin. “And besides, you know I’m just as out of my element wearing fancy clothes like that.” Ayer wearing that sleek vest though, on the other hand…

The pugilist looks over to Tarkhan appraisingly yet again, an eyebrow raised, and she shrugs, flicking her skewer into the same rubbish bin. “Well, then. We can make a deal, let’s both try on the items - and I know what you’re thinking, I’ll go get one of the vests altered to my size, too.” She grins at his tail predictably flicking about happily, and they approach the stallrunners. It’s not long before their turn to be fitted comes, and with their changing tents beside each other, they banter through the thin tarp - mostly with Ayer complaining about how difficult it would be to keep the dress on properly while fighting, and Tarkhan maintaining propriety as he eventually stands outside her tent to wait for her, done far earlier. “Almost done - oh, hey, I’ll give you a choice. Do you want to wait until I’m done, or help me with this zip-” She doesn’t get to finish before Tarkhan moves the tent flap aside slightly, blocking the gap with his body so only he can see in, and places a firm hand on her bare shoulder while zipping the back up for her. He guides her out soon after with her laughing again as she walks backwards out of the tent, and with a tiny smirk he spins her around to face him and leans down, whispering in her ear.

“You normally eat your Valentione’s gifts, don’t you?”

Ayer smirks back and flicks his forehead lightly, folding her arms. "We're in public. Rein it back a little, would you?" Tarkhan reels back exaggeratedly from her attack and pouts in response.

"That hasn't stopped you before. I don't suppose you'd consider keeping this little number, though?" Hungrily, his eyes roam over her lithe body in the cute outfit, and she snickers before shaking her head half in amusement, half in dissent. 

"No, it'd only take up room in my dresser. At least I can wear the cheongsam to formal events." Ayer replies, moving a hand under Tarkhan's chin and firmly fixing his gaze on her face again. "That vest looks very good on you, though. You don't have to bother considering, I'm buying one for each of us." Indeed not brooking any protest, she brushes a thumb affectionately over the curve of his lips before turning and walking back into the changing tent. 

Tarkhan has to stop himself from going in after her, but he doesn't have to stop himself from pressing a kiss to her forehead, hand behind her head while she pays for their items. 

-

The sky had started to change colors when they were approached by a starry-eyed Lalafell with a quill in her cap and an interesting device in her hands, box-like with a circular lens of some sort protruding from it like a tiny telescope. The Miqo'te peer at each other then down at her, and she stammers as she makes a surprising request of them. "H-Hello, ma'am, sir! I-I'm from the Mythril Eye, a-and w-we're doing a feature on the c-couples of U-Ul'dah, for, St. Valentione's, you see…! In that vein, could I!" She smiles up at them and holds up the device. "Take a photo of you two! E-Especially since… Ayer Kahjaa…" 

Ayer blinks, and Tarkhan starts grinning again, trying to hold back his laughter as he nudges her in the side. "Still famous, or should I say, infamous as ever, I see." Suddenly reminded that she's something of a local celebrity, the Keeper chuckles. 

"Well, sure! What sort of… photo would you like, miss?" Ayer crouches down as she speaks, as is polite when speaking to smallfolk. The Lalafell seems to panic slightly at this, perhaps not expecting that she would be humored by the pair. 

"Oh! Erm, something that shows how close you are… perhaps you could be holding hands, or maybe… ah, Miqo'te show their affection by intertwining tails too, don't they!" The reporter starts to smile as she thinks of the possible poses, and the pair both look over to each other again as they ponder what to do. 

They open their mouths at the same time, and Tarkhan motions to let Ayer speak first. Smiling gently, she glances away for a moment as she scratches her cheek. "Well. Perhaps you'd appreciate us kissing? In return for that exclusive scoop, I would want to know how that contraption of yours works, miss." Ayer turns her gaze back over to the Lalafell's device again, and her smile widens more. Tarkhan for his part starts to feel his cheek twitch. She had wanted to do the same thing as him. 

"W-Why, of course!" 

The reporter steps back as the Miqo'te couple rise to their feet, and face each other. "Ah, whenever you're ready?" Tarkhan looks over to the Lalafell and she nods vigorously, raising the device to her face in preparation. Passer-bys start to turn their heads. Tarkhan and Ayer for their part are slowly slipping into their own little world, hesitantly glancing at her, then smiling at each other. "I love you." He mouths, his lips brushing against hers, but he's too close for her to read his lips, and she simply tilts her head to the side slightly in confusion. 

"Huh? Sorry, did you say something…? That was a bit too soft." 

Tarkhan shakes his head with a sheepish chuckle, then runs his fingers through Ayer's hair, making sure to leave her face visible to the reporter, and pulls her gently, but firmly into a kiss. He feels her smile into it, leaning into him, and his heart positively sings, trying to break its way out of her ribcage into her arms like an overexcited bird. The sun sets behind them and they dimly hear the Lalafell making excited exclamations as a light flashes from the device. Pulling away slightly, Ayer pokes her nose against his, grinning. "T'was a good day, wasn't it!"


End file.
